Technical preview: Simplified configuration process for .NET data flow analysis

AppScan on Cloud offers a new way to generate an .irx file for scanning .NET applications, using dataflow analysis for .NET source code (C# and VB.NET),

Currently, when ASoC encounters a Visual Studio solution file (.sln file), it builds the solution and project(s) to generate the .NET assemblies (.dll and .exe files), then processes those .NET assemblies to produce the .irx file that is submitted for analysis.

When this new functionality is enabled by the user, ASoC can process the Visual Studio source code directly to produce the .irx file to be analyzed. This results in:

  • Faster .irx generation.
  • Systems flexibility: availability of the build environment to compile the source code into .NET assemblies is not required.
  • Source to Sink dataflow results for source code.
  • Cross-platform .NET support.
Enable this functionality in one of three ways:
  • Using an environment variable to apply globally:
    • Windows: set APPSCAN_OPTS=-DNewDotNetEngine
    • Linux/Mac: export APPSCAN_OPTS="-DNewDotNetEngine"
  • Add a parameter to the appscan prepare command when using the Static Analyzer Command Line Utility:
    appscan.bat prepare -DNewDotNetEngine
  • Specify an attribute in appscan-config.xml:
    In the Configuration element:
    <Configuration NewDotNetEngine="true">
        <Targets>
            <Target path="."/>
        </Targets>
    </Configuration>

Once enabled, when a Visual Studio solution file (.sln file) is found during scan configuration, all C# (.cs) and VB.NET (.vb) source files are processed during the generation of the .irx file. After the .irx is analyzed in AppScan on Cloud, results showing Source to Sink traces are available in scan results.